Re: How did we go from the playoffs two years ago, to unquestionable bottom-feeders?

I know some of you say it's part of the plan, but I don't like it. I'd have much rather kept Wallace and Felton and then drafted a bit lower.

People always use OKC as an example these days, but they are such an extremely positive example. Is good to be hopeful, but it's not at all realistic to aspire the OKC route to "glory". They had an insane 3 year stretch in the draft.

They spent their 3 high lottery picks on Durant, Westbrook and Harden. They also drafted Ibaka late in the first round, and crazy enough they even drafted Landry and Glenn Davis as 2nd rounders. They could have just as easily ended up with Oden, Mayo, Flynn and Kosta Koufos. Then they would have still been the worst team in the NBA.

To prove that it normally doesn't happen, you only need to look at the teams that reached the finals over the past decade or so:

San Antonio: Only Duncan was a high lottery acquisition.
LA: No core player on the team was a high lottery acquisition.
Mavericks: No core player on the team was a high lottery acquisition.
Heat: Only Wade was a high lottery acquisition. (5th, not even that high)
Orlando: Only Howard
Cleveland: Only LBJ
Celtics: No core player on the team was a high lottery acquisition.
Pistons: No core player on the team was a high lottery acquisition.
New Jersey: No core player on the team was a high lottery acquisition.

The key to a successful franchise is to draft well with the picks they have, not to purposely get as many top 5 picks as possible. And the key is to improve the team through trades. So far, no iteration of the Bobcats management has shown the capacity to do both of these things. It makes me sad, but the future is not looking too bright. I just hope we can get lucky and land a superstar somehow.